Birds
Waved Albatross
Phoebastria irrorata · also called Galapagos albatross
Running off the edge of a cliff to catch enough air beneath its wings, a waved albatross is the only albatross species that calls the tropics home, breeding almost entirely on a single Galapagos island where weak equatorial winds demand a very different kind of takeoff.
Overview
The waved albatross, Phoebastria irrorata, is a Critically Endangered seabird native to ocean and coastal habitat across the eastern tropical Pacific, breeding almost entirely in the Galapagos Islands. Its unique tropical range, unusual cliff-edge launch, and elaborate courtship dance make it one of the most distinctive and conservation-critical albatross species found anywhere in the world.
An albatross built for a windless world
Most albatrosses depend on strong, steady winds to get airborne, but the waved albatross breeds where the ocean offers neither, forcing it to improvise with a running cliff-edge launch found in no other albatross species anywhere else on Earth.
Status
Critically Endangered, with populations remaining concentrated almost entirely on a single island and continuing to decline due to longline fishing bycatch off Peru, introduced predators, and periodic El Nino-driven food shortages.
Waved Albatross: common questions
Why is the waved albatross unusual among albatrosses?
This species is the only albatross species found in the tropics, breeding almost entirely on Espanola Island in the Galapagos rather than the cold, windswept latitudes favoured by nearly every other albatross species.
How does the waved albatross take off?
This species relies on a running takeoff from a cliff edge to become airborne, since the light, inconsistent winds typical of the equator make the open-ground launches used by other albatrosses impractical here.
What does waved albatross courtship look like?
This species performs an elaborate courtship display involving rapid bill-circling and clacking, along with sky-pointing and bowing, a ritual repeated by paired birds at the start of each breeding season.
Why is the waved albatross Critically Endangered?
This species has almost its entire population concentrated on a single small island, and faces significant mortality from longline fishing off Peru, along with introduced predators and periodic El Nino food shortages.